Slopecrashers | PC Review

Like many gamers who were active during the Gamecube era, I was a huge fan of SSX Tricky. Like most Nintendo fans, I have loved every single iteration of Mario Kart. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you the love child of those two classic properties: Slopecrashers. 

Nostalgic, New, and Fun

Available now on PC and coming soon to Xbox and Switch, Slopecrashers is the fantastic initial effort from an independent developer, Byteparrot. Dig one step deeper and you’ll find that Byteparrot is actually a solo developer named Johannes Lugstein. What started as a hobby idea turned into a full time effort. His efforts have resulted in Slopecrashers.

Like I explained above, Slopecrashers is a snowboard arcade racing game with combat elements which also rewards performing tricks as you race towards the finish line.

 

In the campaign mode, you are up against 7 other racers. The styles of each level vary from racing to stunt performing to battle. There are multiple levels, similar to the “cc” differences of difficulty in Mario Kart. Once you’ve selected the difficulty level, it’s time to select your character. The character selection begins with a parrot, a penguin, a turkey, and a lemur, and there are more available as you progress through the game. There isn’t a corresponding story to the character you select. Instead, the character selection has different strengths and weaknesses which we’ll cover more in the next section.

Other game modes available are Grand Prix (races), Arcade (exactly what it sounds like), and Online. Such a wide variety of options and settings keeps the game feeling fresh on every boot up.

Standard Controls and Plenty of Options

Let’s start with those options and settings. One of the larger number of choices for graphical, audio, and gameplay choices in an independent game! Altering the look of the game was a nice option for those who may not have a high-end machine (or my particularly finicky “gaming” laptop). On my PC, I kept the highest choices. Textures, frame rate, motion blur, and so many more are available for editing to customize the game to your requirements. 

Controlling Slopecrashers is a cinch. I mentioned in the podcast segment that I forgot how to play a snowboard racing game and it took a few moments for me to get acclimated to jumping at the edge of a ramp to get a better launch. Once you’re in the air, selecting the stunts is as simple as using the directional pad on my controller. For the record, I did not try to play using the mouse and keyboard. A game that is so reminiscent of our console favorites just begged me to play with the controller. 

Each character brings with them their own strengths and weaknesses. Characters have stats: Speed, Handling, Acceleration, and Stunts. Each character is unique. One might be faster but handle poorly. One might have high acceleration but a low top speed. I chose the good ole parrot because they were average across the board. You guessed it, I chose the easiest mode because I’m here for the fun that Slopecrashers gleefully provides.

During the events, you can pick up gems that you will use to purchase upgrades to your character’s appearance. That poor naked parrot needed a tophat and bowtie, so I earned it!

During the race, performing stunts helps to build up the boost meter. You don’t have to wait for the meter to be completely full to use the boost. But once it IS full, you’ll enjoy the boost which helps catch up to the players ahead of you or keep them behind.

There are gift boxes along the track which contain weapons. The blue gift boxes contain offensive weapons and the red gift boxes contain defensive weapons. Launch a swarm of bees or missiles to take out the racers who are in front of you, or leave a giant snowman directly in the racing path to block the preferred racing line for those behind. There is a rubber-banding effect based on your position; the further back you are, the better weapon you’ll receive. I’ll share a lesson I learned very early on: Your own weapons can hurt you. Throw that snowman in front of you, and you will run the risk of running into it.

A nifty piece of the races is that there are laps. At the bottom of the course (aka, end of the lap), there are gates to the chairlifts which will take you back to the top of the course to begin the next lap. This was a neat little challenge. If you were first to the end of the lap, you just picked a gate. Small challenge in aiming for the gate to get through. However, if you are not in first place, that’s where it could get challenging or, dare I say, frustrating? If the character ahead of you makes it to the gate first, you either have to quickly pivot to the other available chairlift OR you’re going to be stuck in the queue until the next chair is available in that lane. 

More Nostalgia but Arcade Music Greatness

Did somebody say “Independent Game”? You wouldn’t know it by the fantastic arcade style music that plays. Fitting perfectly with the aesthetic of the game, the music beats along with playful energy keeping the player motivated to go as fast as they can or add another flip to the stunt. I never grew tired of the music. I imagined myself at Chuck E Cheese and instantly wanted some pizza to go with the fun racing on Slopecrashers.

If I had one piece of my review that is a bit more critical, it would be the graphics. Let’s be clear, I didn’t care one single bit. It didn’t take me out of the game or reduce my enjoyment level. I just wanted to point out that these graphics take me back a console generation or two. For those among us who have fond memories of SSX Tricky, you’ll feel right at home. 

 

Finally, the course design is fabulous. Twists and turns, ramps, obstacles (like trees and signs), and even the background objects are skillfully placed to make the Slopecrashers environment more immersive and enjoyable. Kudos to the developer who clearly spent a fair amount of time making sure that each course felt unique while delivering a fun challenge at every turn.

Final Verdict

If you’re a fan of those two games I mentioned at the top, I guarantee you will find enjoyment with Slopecrashers. The options, characters, tracks, weapons, and rewards will keep gamers occupied for hours. Does it break new ground? No. Was it thoroughly enjoyable for the entirety of my gaming time? Absolutely.

Let’s support our independent development teams! They are true friends to the gaming community. Slopecrashers deserves your purchase.

To hear me talk more about Slopecrashers, be sure to listen to the December 5, 2024 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 1:16:14 time stamp.

This review is based on a PC copy of Slopecrashers provided by Neon Hive for coverage purposes. It will be available on Xbox and Nintendo Switch at a later date.